Council of the Cherokee Nation - File #: 23-056

• File #: 23-056
• Version: 1
• Name: N/A
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Passed
• File created: 9/13/2023
• In control: TRIBAL COUNCIL
• On agenda: 9/28/2023
• Final action: 10/2/2023
• Enactment date: 9/28/2023
• Enactment #: R-034-23
• Title: A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING NO CONFIDENCE IN WES NOFIRE, OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT'S NATIVE AMERICAN LIAISON, AND CALLING FOR HIS RESIGNATION FOR MAKING VARIOUS PUBLIC STATEMENTS AGAINST THE SOVEREIGN INTERESTS OF THE CHEROKEE NATION
• Sponsors: Mike Shambaugh, Victoria Vazquez, Dora Patzkowski, Johnny Kidwell , Danny Callison, Kevin Easley Jr., Joe Deere, Candessa Tehee, E. O. "JR." Smith, Melvina Shotpouch, Codey Poindexter, Joshua Sam
• Indexes: Resignation , Resolution Expressing No Confidence , Sovereignty
• Code sections: N/A - Not Applicable

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
10/2/2023	1	OFFICE OF THE CHIEF	Signed
9/28/2023	1	TRIBAL COUNCIL	Approved	Pass
9/28/2023	1	RULES COMMITTEE	Approved and Forwarded to Council	Pass

Title
A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING NO CONFIDENCE IN WES NOFIRE, OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT'S NATIVE AMERICAN LIAISON, AND CALLING FOR HIS RESIGNATION FOR MAKING VARIOUS PUBLIC STATEMENTS AGAINST THE SOVEREIGN INTERESTS OF THE CHEROKEE NATION
Body
WHEREAS the Cherokee Nation, since time immemorial, has exercised the sovereign right of self-government on behalf of the Cherokee people;

WHEREAS the Cherokee Nation is a federally recognized Indian Nation with a historic and continual government-to-government relationship with the United States of America;

WHEREAS under Oklahoma law the Governor may appoint a Native American Liaison whose duties include, but are not limited to, monitoring all state - tribal compacts, monitoring state agency tribal consultation policies, funding opportunities for tribes and "Ensure continuing outreach to tribes and shall establish and maintain relationships with tribes";

WHEREAS on the 5th day of September 2023 Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced the appointment of Wes Nofire to the position of Oklahoma Native American Liaison;

WHEREAS on or about the 9th day of September 2021 Councilor Nofire endorsed the following assertions, among others, in Comingdeer v. Cherokee Nation Election Commission, SC 21-06 (Petitioner's Objection, filed Sept. 3, 2021): "The courts of the modern Cherokee Nation since its existence by creation through the 1970 Principal Chiefs Act have never legally established a jurisdictional court over the citizens of the Cherokee Nation. The Principal Chiefs Act may grant legal authority to create a tribe's own operational court to handle internal conflicts between branches of government, employee conflicts, and/or interpretations of contracts the Cherokee Nation enters, but the law is specific that it gives no authority to a court in which it maintains criminal or civil jurisdiction of its citizens. Therefore, the Cherokee Nation is abusing its legal authority from that of the Principal Chiefs Act";

WHEREAS du...